Convertible railway-car.



Patented Apr. l-, I902.

J. A. BRILL.

CONVERTIBLE RAILWAY OAR.

(Application filed June 3, 1901.)

3 SheelsSheet L (No Model.)

Tut cams PETERS cu, PHOTO-LUNG" wAsummou. n. z:v

Patented Apr. I902.

J. A.'B RILL. CONVERTIBLE RAILWAY CAR.

(Application filed June -3, 1901.)

3 Sheets-Shei 2.

(No Model.)

I7; Vela THE mums PETERS c0, Pnorauma, WASHINGTON. o. c.

No. 696,409. Patented Apr. I, I902.

J. A. BRILL.

CONVERTIBLE RAILWAY CAR.

(Application filed June 3, 1901.)

3 Sheets--Slieei 3.

(No Model.)

m: NORRIS PETERS c0 Poro-Lrmo..wnsumarcn, n. c.

UNITED rricn.

ATENT CONVERTIBLE RAILWAY CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 696,409, dated April 1, 1902. Application filedJune 3, 1901. Berial No. 62,816. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, JOHN A. BRILL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Convertible Railway-Oars, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in convertible car's-that is, cars which may be opened at the sides for summer use and closed for winter use and having under those conditions the general appearance of either of the respective ordinary cars.

The improvements relate more particularly to the class of cars having transverse seats and having upright posts along the sides, the space therebetween being filled by removable panels and which are adapted to be storedin the roof of the car or in the space between the ceiling and roof when it is desired to open the same for summer use.

The objects of my invention are the provision of a car of the class described in which are convenient means for closing the sides of the car in winter or inclement Weather by paneling comprising sashes and base-panels placed between the posts and means for storing the said paneling in the roof of the car, said posts acting as supports and guides for them to and into the roof-space.

Further objects are the production of a car which is simple in its parts and operation,

cheap to construct, and durable and lasting under the most severe conditions of service.

To the accomplishment of these objects and such others as may hereinafter appear, the invention consists in the construction and combination of parts hereinafter described, and particularly set out in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, in which the same characters of reference represent like parts throughout the several views, and in which- Figure l is a side elevation of a portion of a car constructed in accordance with my improvements. Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the side of the car on the plane of the line a 00, Fig. 1, showing the sash and panel in their lowered position. Fig. 3 is a like view showing the parts in their raised position. Figs. 4 and 5 are respectively elevations of the sash and panel,

respectively.

-3 substantially to their ends.

In the figures, 2 represents the usual lon-' gitudinal car-sill, and 3 the vertical posts or ribs secured thereto and supporting the weather-board 4 and the roof 5, beneath which the said posts extend either by an integral or separable upwardly and inwardly inclined horn or brace or extension 6 to the ventilator rail 7 of the usual deck or roof of the car. To the under side of horn may be secured the usual head-lining or ceiling 8, which extends to the ventilator-rail 7 and normally follows the contour of the inner curved edge of these post extensions, and thus forms an inner Wall inclosing a space 0 between it and the rooffor the storage of the side paneling, the opening between the lower edges of the head-lining 8 and the weather-board 4 forming a mouth or inlet to said space 9. The paneling to fill the openings in the sides of the car defined by said posts 3 comprise panels and sashes. The basepanel 10, which is flexible, as shown in the drawings, the better to enable it to conform to the curvature of the lower ends of the posts to give the car a graceful outline and to follow the curved outlines of the posts 3 in the roof and its supporting-groove therein, consists of a series of bars or slats 11, secured together in any desired way, as by a sheet of self-supporting material, as iron or composition board 10. So far, however, as some of the features of the invention and the claims thereon are concerned, these panels may be flexible or inflexible, for obviously either may be employed in many of its phases and combinations. The lower edge of said panel 10 may and preferably does rest upon the car flooring or sill and the upper end extends up to about where the belt-rail of the usual closed car is located. It is adapted to travel along the posts in grooves and guideways 12, forming therein when down weather-tight joints and being guided thereby along the height of the posts into the storage space 9, for the grooves 12 follow the inner edges of the posts The slats 11 are also adapted to work in the grooves 12 and tend to brace and conform the flexible sheet 10 to the curve of the groove. The slats being located on the inside, the sheet 10 may be finished as desired.

The upperpanel or sash,as itis commonly termed, consists of a window sash or frame,

ICO

which for convenience in storing is made in two sections 13 and 14; with interlocking edges 13 and hinged together, as at 14:, and provided with trunnions or pins 14:14: 14 on the upper and lower sections 13 14:, as shown in Fig. 4, and which trunnions are adapted to travel in grooves 15, which extend vertically and substantially parallel with the grooves 12 from substantially the top of the panel 10 (when the latter is lowered) to the top of the post, and thence curving in past the weather-board and following along beneath the roof, the grooves 12 15 there lying in different horizontal planes. The edge of the groove 15 is caused to overlap the edge of the sections 13 let to make a weather-tight connection, and the lower section is held against this overlap by means hereinafter to be described.

The bottom of the sash-section 13 is provided with an inwardly-extending abutment 16, having a recess or groove 17 to receive the end or upper edge of the panel 10. This abutment normally rests on the top of the panel 10 in the preferred form, as shown, and there constitutes awindow-sill on the interior of the car and a convenient means for closing the space between the panel and sash, as well as a means for holding the lower edge and considerable of the vertical edge of the sections of the sash against the outer overlapping edge of the groove 15. The abutment 16, however, serves another useful and important function connected with the raising and storing of the sashes and panels in the space within the roof, for when it is desired to so store the panels and sashes the panel, which may be provided with lifting-handles, knobs, or other means, preferablynear the bottom or lower edge, is lifted and, bearing in the recess of the abutment, lifts and carries with it the sliding window-sash. The one part thus bears against the abutment on the other part and not only sustains it when they are lower, but also when the sash is raised, and this action continues for a sufficient distancesay to where the grooves diverge-when the panel is lowered a trifle and the sash is moved upward into the position shown in Fig.3, the trunnions supporting the sash-sections and allowing them to assume an angular position in the space 9, as shown. The panel 10 is then raised into position in front of the sash, the panels and sashes then lying in different horizontal planes. If preferred,ordinary sliding bolts or spring-catches could be applied to these partsto hold them in their stored positions. It will be apparent that for this function the abutment could be located anywhere along on the sash, and I wish to so cover it in some of my claims; but for its additional usefulness I prefer to locate and use it as shown.

The car can also be utilized as a semiconvertible car by leaving the lower section down and raising only the upper sash, it being capable of such operation, though in not as convenient a manner as before explained. The car would of course be provided with usual curtains, seats, &c.

That I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a convertible car having roof-spaces, the combination with the parts having separate grooves each extending into said roofspaces, of the sliding window sash and panel movable in said grooves, one of said parts being formed with an abutment to support the sash upon the panel and for moving the sash upward in the grooves as they are raised, and means for separating and supporting the sash and panel in the roof-space.

2. In a convertible car, the combination with the parts having separate grooves, the grooved roof-spaces, the sliding window sash and panel, one of said parts being formed with an abutment for the other to bear against, and for sustaining one part from the other when they are raised, the grooves diverging into different horizontal planes in the roofspaces, whereby means are provided for supporting the sash and panel in the said space separate from each other.

3. In a convertible open and closed car, the combination of the sliding panel and windowsash, one of said parts being formed with a lateral abutment having a longitudinal recess to receive a portion of the other, so that one vertically supports the other and that the parts may be moved together and one be supported from the other during such movement.

4:- In a convertible open and closed car, the combination of the sliding side-closing elements comprising a window-sash and panel with members formed with separate ways or grooves to separately guide said elements when sliding, projections extending from one of said elements into one of the grooves, the other element being guided by said grooves, and members provided with continuations of said grooves located between the ceiling and the roof of the car to receive said projections and element for guiding them into and out of said space.

5. In a convertible car having side openings, posts to define said openings, separate grooves in each of the opposing faces of said posts, slidable upper and lower panels separately guided by said grooves, and an abutment carried upon the lower end of the upper panel for lifting one by the otherwhen one is lifted.

6. In a convertible car having side openings, posts to define said openings, separate guiding-grooves in each of the opposing faces of said posts, panels to fill said openings and which are separately guided by said grooves, the upper panel having an abutment carried upon its lower edge and projecting over and adapted to rest on top of the other panel.

7. In a convertible car having side openings, upright posts to define said openings and having separate grooves in each of their opposing faces, a panel and a window-sash to close said openings, the window-sash having an abutment upon its lower edge provided with a recess tofit over the top of the panel, and means for storing both panel and sash separate from each otherin the roof ofthe car.

8. In a convertible car having openings in its sides, upright posts to define said openings and having separate grooves in each of their opposing faces, a flexible base-panel and a rigid window-sash separably slidable in said grooves, and means carried upon the lower end of said sash for lifting said sash by raising the base-panel and for storing them in the roof of the car.

9. In a convertible car having openings in its sides, roof-spaces, upright posts to define said openings and having continuations extending into said spaces, separate grooves formed on each of the opposing faces of said posts and continuations and thereon diverging into difierent horizontal planes, the outer of which is higher, a flexible panel movable in the inner of the grooves, a Window-sash comprising rigid sections hinged together movable in the outer grooves, and an abutment carried upon the lower end of said sash, said abutment projecting across the path of said flexible panel.

10. In a convertible ings, vertical andhaving ing faces, a tional sash-panel guided by said groove, the upper section of the latter remaining in the grooves when stored, but the lower section being swung inward, until its lower end onters the storage-chamber and lies close to the inner end thereof, an abutment carried upon the lower end of said sash, and the flexible panel lying in its groove beneath the said lower section adapted to rest upon said abutment, whereby they mutually prevent falling. Signed at Hot Springs, county of Bath, State car having side openposts to define said openings guides in grooves in their opposof Virginia, this 10th day of May, 1901.

JOHN A. BRILL. Witnesses:

R. W. BRAGG, J12, CHARLES E. LEROY.

flexible base-panel, and a sec- 

